Who says it's a failure? I flight instruct exclusively in light sport aircraft, and I have for the past several years. I was on a special issuance medical for several years before that and hated the incredibly poor "customer" service provided by the FAA's Aeromedical Division. In my opinion they are the very epitome of bureaucratic indifference and ineptitude. When Sport Pilot came along and I could once again instruct in power planes without a medical I jumped at the chance and never looked back. Since then I've soloed more than 30 students (one on her 16th birthday), had more than 25 students get their sport pilot certificate and brought 15 people back into aviation that hadn't flown in more than a decade. Three of my former students now own their own airplanes and two more are partners in an SLSA. My completion rate is running at about 60%, which is much better than when I was instructing in 172's and Cherokees. Finally, I'm having more fun than I ever have as a flight instructor. I wish I'd started this kind of "failure" a long time ago.
